Backup solution for freeBSD/Symantec Backup exec porting

[Andrea Venturoli]

On 12/04/14 01:01, Ian Lord wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've been using freebsd since version 4.11 and always dealt with backup semi manually with dump, copying files over, database dumps, etc.
>
> By the way, not as a home user, but for 8-10 servers used in a SAAS application. We are looking for something more serious as we are dealing with about 10TB of data for documents, and 600-800 gigs of SQL database. Everything is redundant, replicated, etc, but we need a serious backup solution.
>
> We are thinking of purchasing a DELL Powervault LT2000 device which consists of 1 or 2 LTO6 tape drives with 24 slots giving 60TB of data space for retention
>
> I've read a lot on the subject and many people seem to do dumps on a remote HD, etc, but to get to 60TB of disk space would cost a lot and would be less reliable then a tape library in my opinion.
>
> We need something automated and reliable. Hopefully, with a nice gui to restore individual files etc...
>
> We already have backup exec 2014 for our windows servers, but they don't make an agent for freebsd.
> Symantec has netbackup which supports FreeBSD, but it seems really expensive (A rep will call me, tells all about the price lol)
>
> I've read on Bacula and Amanda, and it really doesn't feel like a product mature enough (outdated documentation, no clear indication the tape library would work, etc). Their commercial counterparts are really expensives... I'm afraid to purchase hardware, new server, etc and end up with nothing working.
>
> In the past, we used backup exec to backup freebsd using their legacy backup agents in linux compat mode and it was working really well. We tried (without extensive effort) to make work their linux agent on freebsd without success.
>
> So my questions are:
>
> 1-      Does anyone have a tape library working with bacula or Amanda ? Does it work well ? (meaning stable, reliable and good performance)
>
> 2-      Would anyone be willing to try to make backup exec work on freebsd using linux compat mode ? I would be willing to finance the project up to 500$ perhaps other people reading this could also contribute to have more man hours on this task.
>
> I love so much FreeBSD Over Linux, but it's always hard to get support from vendors... We are even evaluating to switch our fileservers to Centos (where we also dump sql databases and could replicate important data from freeBSD) to be able to easily back them up using Backup Exec's agent. But this would be my last resort as I don't want to support linux box where everything else in in FreeBSD.
>
> Any help/comment would be appreciated.

Just some thoughts...

Many others have suggested to avoid tapes; they have some points, but I 
think they are much too pessimistics. I personally manage several backup 
systems, some based on tapes, some on disks, some on a mix of the two. 
Think twice before moving from tapes to disk; both have their pros and cons.

I'm using Bacula in at least four different scenarios and I can't agree 
with you when you deem it as immature. Sure it has some rough edges 
(what big program doesn't?), but it never failed me.
Also I found its documentation far from bad.
I can't tell you anything about tape library support, though, since I 
never used a tape library.
Also, it comes without a GUI; personally I'm fine with CLI, but I agree 
in this case there are some shortcomings. There are plenty of web 
interfaces available, though I'm still waiting to find some time to try 
them.
In one case I replaced Backup Exec with Bacula and everyone is much 
happier that way.

Resist rolling your own solution: while in some cases this is 
unavoidable, it will be hard to maintain and a cursed heritage the day 
you leave it to someone else.


Just my 2c.

  bye
	av.